Improvement in revolving fire-arms



2 S heets-Sheet I.

c. c. BRAND.

Revolver.

Patented Sept. 23, I862.

Witneun.

C. C. BRAND.

' Revolver.

.Patenbe'd Sept. 23, I862.

Am 25W! 2 Sheets--Sheet. 2.

UNITED STATES PAT NT OFFICE.

O, 0. BRAljD, OF-NORWICH,,CONNEOTX OUT.

IMPROVEMENT m nsvotvt-ne FIRE-ARMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 30,505, dated September 28, 1862' To all whom it may concern:

' parts. reni oveii to show the interior construction. Fig. 3 represents a transverse section of the same at tho line'ara: of Fig. 2 and loole ing towards the cyliuder Fig. 4 re resents a transverse section of the same, loo ing tovardthe barrel, and Fig. 5 represents a rear view of a portion of the stock, looking forward. My invention relates to that class of repeatlug fire-arms which are adapted to the use of metallic cartridges that are inserted into the revolving cylinder at its butt; and my invention embraces several parts, which are not necessarily used in connection. As, however, I believe the best tire-armscan be constructed by the simultaneous use of all parts of m ven'tion,Ishallproceed to describeonein wh c they are all embodied. The object of the first part of my invention is to prevent the escape of smoke and lead at the joint between. the'revolving cylinder and the butt of the barrel. To thisend the first art: of my invention consists in maklng'tho ength of the revolving cylinder shorter than the length of the cartridge-case, so that the front end of a cartridge, when in a chamber of the .cylinder, protrudes in frontof it, aud in combining the said cylinder with the barrel by means of mechanism in such manner that the cylinder is withdrawn from the butt of the barrel prior to its rotation-suificieutly to permit the end of the cartridge to turn, and is moved toward the barrel to close the breech and insert the protruding end of the cartridge into the butt of the barrel. By this combination the front end of the'cartridgemasea is caused to overlap the joint of the breech at the time the charge is flred to'prevent the escape t-hereat of any matter from within.

The ohiect of the second part of my inven- 'tridge-, win

otect the front ends'ot the'carprotrnde beyond the front end of the revolvin g cylinder. This part of any invention consists in combining a short revolvtion is to p ing cylinder to hold the cartridges with none in g in advance of said short cylinder to receive their projecting ends and protect themfrom n ury.

The object of the third part of rnyinventiou is to relievethe hammer from the 8llall1'0f16' volving the cylinder, which is the customary;

arrangement in thisclnss ot fire-arms. To this end this part of my invention consists in com binin g the lever which moves a sliding revolving cylinder with the mechanism for operating the revolution of the said'cylimler, so that the said lever performsthe two functions of moving the cylinder to and fro in'line-with the barrel and also-of revolving it.

: The object of the fourth part ct my inven tion is to loosen the discharged-cartridge oases T from the cylinder without removing the same from its place. This part of myihvention onsists in combining thelever which moves a sliding revoking cylinder to and-fro with a pnuchso located as to enter the dischargedcnrtridge case when the cylinder is moved forward, and sntiiciently long to. loosen said case from its chamber.

The fifth part oi mylnvention consists-iii constructing-the said punch ih such manner and so-combining' iii ens the other members of the fire-arm that it performs the double fnnction of loosening'the cartridge-case and of preventing the rotation of the revolving cylinder during firing. g

The lire-arm represented in the accompanying drawings is divided into two rnnln divisidns vrhich' are combined by means of a sliding bolt, E, and to%le-jointed lever G. The revolving cylinder which receives thecartridges, is pivoted on the 8lldiIJbOlliE,Wllldll thus forms the spindle on which the cylinder revolves. It is pierced in'this instance with six chambers, 11:, for cartridges, and it is so short that the front ends of the cartridge-cases protrude beyond its front end, as shown at J, Fig. 2, when the cartridges areiu place. The

lever is pivoted at its fulcrum to the front end or a link, H,which in turn is pivoted to the" part of the stock F to which the barrel A. is

secured. The frontead of the lever is pivoted.

. fast to the front division of the tire-arm.

to the front end of the sliding holfland the dimensions of the parts are such that when the lever is depressed, as shown in Fig. 2, the revolving cylinder, the main portion ofthe stock, nnd the appur enances thereofare moved back from the butt of the barrel, leaving ample spate between the front end of the cylinder and the barrel for the projecting ends of the cartridges to turn into line with the barrel without striking. The cylinder is retained in its place on the spindle by a spring-catch a. The lever G in this instance is so formed and. arranged that it forms the trigger-guard, and its ahcr end, which is in the form of a Hattened ring, is in a convenient position to be clutched by the fingers of the hand which grasps the handle I) of the stock at the time the trigger is drawn. In order that the'toree' of the discharge may not; tend to depress the lever G, the connections are constructed in such niannerthat the central joint; pin, 1', is above the line connecting the other two jointpins, r a, when the lever is raised to its place in contact with the stock.

In order that the fronteuds of the cartridges that project from the cylinder may not be injured, a casing, It, is secured to that part of the stock which is beneath the barrel to receivetbeends of the cartridges when thebreech is closed by the forward movement of the cylinder. In the present example the case is formed of a. block perfomtrd with holes a, corresponding in position with the chambers of the'cylinder when thelatter is in place against the butt of the barrel; but'the casing may be a mere shell of autlicient strength, and it may be open at its front end, if deemed expedient.

In order to revolve the cylinder according to the third purl; of my invention the butt of the cylinder is fitted with'a. ratchet-wheel, 11', whose teeth are operated upon by aspriag- .pawl, l, which is pivoted to one arm of avi- .brating pawl'lever, M, having the form of a bell-crank. The lower'arm of this pawl-lever isfitted with a pin, =r, which is received in a slot, to, in a bar, N, whose front end is made The hinder end of the slottcd' bar slides in the hinder division of the tire-arm. The slot is extended backward to such apoint that dot ingtho backward movement of the cylinder K and its appurtenances by the depression of the lever G the binder and of the slot comes in contact with the pin of the vibrating pawl lever before the cylinder reaches its most backward position, so that the continued movement of the cylinder i---;,' the lever G causes th pawl-lever to vibrate on its pivot and rotate the cylinder. This rotation of the cylinder continues until the chamber previously in line with the barrel is moved past it and a sec ceeding chamber is brought into line with the barrel. When this is accomplished the fur-.

ther rotation of the cylinder and its further movement backward by the lever G are at multaneouslystopped by a stop-pin, z, which comes in contact with the binder end of a suppletncnrnry slot, d, in the slot-ed bar N. The front end of the slot 20 is in such a position that when the cylinder K is moved forward by the lever G the pin a: of the pawl'levcr' snfliciently before thecylindcr reaches its place ver the distance required to withdraw the pawl from the ratchet-tooth with which itwas in contact and engage it with the tooth appcn taiuing to the succeeding chamber of the cylinder. In order to prevent the cylinder from turning by momentum after the lever G is at rest, a spring-stud, It, is provided. This stud is borne against the periphery of the cylinder by a spiral spring, and acts as a friction-brake ,to prevent the over movcmcntof the cylinder.

The cartridgecnses are so completely con- 'taiued in the chambers that they require to be punched back after firing. .ln' order'to etlecl: this without rcquiringau additional movement;

. elf the band, a punch, j, is secured to the easing-bloclt R in such position that it enter the last discharged-cartridge case as the cylinder is moved forward by the leverG to place a succeeding cartridge for firing. The punch projects snfliciently from its attachment to strike the inner side of the butt of the cartridge-case before the cylinder reaches its place at the butt of the barrel, and a notch, k, is formed in the recoibshield behind the punch to permit the cartridgecase to move back when struck by the punch. By this arrangementof the punch the loosening of the discharged-cartridge case is effected by the operation of the same lever, G, which moves the cylinder, and no additional lever'is required for the purpose. In order that the punch may also look the cylinder from revolving when it is moved into place at the butt of the barrel, the. base of? the punch is made to lit the boreof the chambers, so that it engages with the one it enters like a bolt.

The fire-arm thus described is constructed to ignite the powder by means of percussionprimers contained in the butt of the cartridge, and the hammer is fitted with a. nose, which strikes the butt of thecartridge through a hole made in the rcoilshield 0. It is readily charged when the cylinder has bceu'moved back by inserting the cartridges successively in succession opposite the notch k in the rec'oihshield by turning the cylinder by hand. As the punch j occupies the place of a cnrtrid 'e when the cylinder is at the butt of the barr :l, thcchambercorrcspouding thereto can- -not Ie charged when the fire-arm is fitted with the punch arranged as described.

Having thus described a repeating fire-arm embodying all parts of my invention,-what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. 'ihecombination oi'a cyliudershorter than the cartridges with the barrel by mechanism in such manner that the eyliuderisdrawn from the butt. of the barrcl prior to its rotation, and

is moved toward the barrel to insert the front comes in contact with the front end of the slot at the butt of the barrel to more the pawl le in thcbutts of the chambers as they are brought end of the cartridge therein prior to firing, substantioliyes set forth.

-2. The combination -of a cylinder shorter than the cartridges with a stationary casing to protect their protruding front ends, sub

stantially as set forth.

3. The combination of a t'nrningcyliuder with a lever by mechanism. in such manner that the said cylinder is both turned and moved toward and from the butt of the barrel by the said lever, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination with the lever for moving the cylinder toward and from the butt of the barrel, so that the cartridge-case is loosened from thechamberlly of a discharge punch l the working otsaid lever, substantially as set 5. The construction and combination of the dischargepuuch with the other members of the fire-arm in such manner that said prnnch performs the double function of discharging the cartridge-oases and of locking the cylinder in its proper position,-snhstentiallyas set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto sub scribed my name.

CHRISTOPHER 0. BRAND Witnesses:

Wm. S. BREWER,

S. T HOLBROOK. 

